Leaving it all out on the road for July 4th

This Ride: 89.5 miles
Month: 143.3 miles
2011: 3,513.2 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 9,632.9 miles

Severna Park Peloton has 3 summer holiday rides to Sweet Sue’s in North Beach, Memorial Day, July 4th, & Labor Day.  A few of us rode today, using one of 3 starts.  A conversational pace ride started near Severna Park at 6:30 am.  Two of us rode that start (accompanied by two others for part of the ride).  We arrived at the Davidsonville Park and Ride for the 7:30 start there, with 4 additional riders.  Three riders started near Severna Park at 7:00 am for a quicker pace.  What’s that … 9 riders including one new guy, Carl.

Doug and I rode to the Park & Ride.  The air was cool and humid in some of the low-lying areas, and I had trouble with my glasses fogging up.  We had a few minutes time at the Park & Ride, where we got to meet Carl and fill him in a little on what to expect.  Bill and his daughter rode a Tandem from the Park & Ride, and set a nice quick and steady pace (except for the short climbs).

Sweet Sue’s was, as usual, wonderful.  The faster group was there waiting for us.  I had an egg, cheese, sausage on a bagel and a strawberry smoothie.

Soon, it was time to push off.  The nine of us started out together, but quickly separated on the first climb out of North Beach.  There were 5 “faster riders”.  I hung with the faster riders, and noted two things.  1) We were flying.  2) My heart rate was running pretty high.  I hung in there as long as I could (about 20 miles), but eventually the pace got the better of me and I started lagging behind.  I wanted the ride to end about 15 miles sooner than it did.  I did a much better job at climbing the hills.  I came close to a head on collision with a truck around a blind curve when I was flying at about 35 mph (truck was on the yellow line and I was close to the line with gravel all over the road at that spot).  Thanks to good bike handling skills for that survival moment.

When I got home, I had a bite to eat, something to drink, and promptly took a nap.